A Picture I still Keep
by perfectromanceinmymind
Summary: Sam and Mercedes have a conversation in the auditorium following the "For Once in My Life" performance in episode 4-21, 'Wonder-ful.' One-shot.


**In the "Wonder-ful" episode, the show-closing performance of "For Once in My Life" had a split-second moment where Mercedes was sharing a microphone with Sam & Unique, her arm casually draped across Sam's back. I realize this is probably more a case of actor bleed than any actual character moment, but that tiny little moment has been in my head ever since. So this story was equally born out of that moment as well as from my need for some Samcedes closure of sorts. The title comes from the Toby Keith song 'We Were in Love.' The whole song seems perfect for Samcedes, but particularly the full verse that lyric comes from:**

**"I can still see you when I sleep  
There is a picture I still keep  
You with your hair in the wind  
And me with that crazy grin under summer skies  
When dreams where too young to die..."**

**Doesn't it make you think of what it must have been like for them that first summer they were together? At any rate - I hope you enjoy this – please let me know!**

* * *

"Thanks for all your help this week, Mercedes," Will said as they moved around the auditorium, putting equipment away after the 'For Once in My Life' performance. The rest of the Glee club had scattered, as had Kurt and Mike, but Mercedes had felt bad leaving Will to take care of everything, so she'd quickly volunteered to stay and assist with clean-up. "I think it's really been a great help for the kids to have you vets back."

Mercedes flashed a smile at her former teacher. "No problem, Mr. Schue. I have to admit, it's kinda nice to be back here. I mean, not that I'm sorry high school is over, but – you know. Being in the choir room feels like home."

Will nodded, a half-smile flitting across his face. "Yeah. I know. And I hope you guys know that it will always be a home for you. Any of you are welcome anytime."

Mercedes nodded. "Thanks, Mr. Schue," she said quietly as she carried the last mike stand back to its storage spot.

"Well!" Will said, clapping his hands together, "I think that's it."

"Is it okay if I hang around for a few more minutes?" At Will's quizzical look, Mercedes shrugged. "I just – feel like reminiscing for a little bit."

Will smiled in understanding. "Go right ahead. Just make sure you turn the lights out when you leave."

"Will do."

With a wave over his shoulder, Will walked out of the auditorium, leaving Mercedes alone in the middle of the stage. With a sigh, she took a step forward and looked out at the auditorium. So many memories in this big room. And yet, it almost didn't feel big enough to hold them all. So much of her recent life had happened in this room. Mercedes was smart enough to know that she didn't want to find herself one day, at thirty or forty-three or fifty-seven, saying that high school was the best time of her life, but right now, at barely nineteen? Yeah, those were the days. She smiled as she looked around, thinking back to that very first performance of 'Don't Stop Believing.' Celebrating their second sectionals win with 'Dog Days.' Being welcomed back to Glee Club with 'We Are Young.'

Her reverie was broken by the sound of the auditorium door opening and a voice saying, "Oh good, you're still here, Mr. Schue!"

A very familiar voice.

She took a step back on the stage as Sam hurried into the room. "So glad you're still here. I can't find my phone and –" he stopped short as he finally looked up at the stage and saw her. "-And you're not Mr. Schue."

Mercedes laughed. "No, 'fraid not."

Sam grinned that sheepish, lopsided grin of his and Mercedes felt her heart do a completely unnecessary flip.

Damnit. Mercedes mentally cursed herself. She and Sam were friends. They'd broken up quite amicably before she'd left for LA and they were friends. But for a moment earlier that day, after she and Mike and Kurt had impulsively jumped on stage to join the fun, she'd found herself next to Sam, her arm draped across his back as they sang. The moment had been so achingly familiar and comfortable, she almost couldn't stand it.

She quickly shook herself out of her thoughts and addressed her former boyfriend. "Did you say you can't find your phone?"

"Uh, yeah," Sam replied, almost looking like he was shaking himself out of his own thoughts. "I wondered if it fell out of my pocket when we were changing clothes earlier."

"I haven't seen it," Mercedes said, heading to the side of the stage where her purse was sitting. "But I can call you and see if we hear it ringing?"

"Oh, so you still have my number?" Sam asked and Mercedes spun around to look at him incredulously.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Sam held up his hands in an 'I surrender' pose. "Just joking!" he said hastily before his voice turned serious. "I mean, just that you don't call me."

Mercedes fixed him with a look. "No," she said slowly, walking towards him, the phone search completely forgotten. "I haven't called. I mean, I guess I could've. We're still friends. But it's a little weird, you know? We're not dating anymore and um, you also have a new girlfriend? Remember?"

Sam looked chagrinned. "Yeah, I know. I just – said that without thinking, I guess. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Mercedes shrugged, walking past him, back to the edge of the stage. She sat down, legs dangling over the edge. "Besides, I haven't exactly been getting any phone calls from you, either," she said, glancing back at him, watching as he grinned and walked over to sit down next to her.

"That is true," he admitted. "But – I guess you're right. It'd be weird. I'm with Brittany now and you're out there in California, doing your grown-up thing…it's all so different."

"That's what I was just thinking before you walked in," she confessed. "How much things have changed – how much fun we all had in here, in Glee." She laughed softly, shaking her head. "Doing my grown-up thing – I have to tell you, Sam, I don't feel very grown-up."

"Don't do that," Sam said firmly. "You always do that, sell yourself short. Don't." He nudged her with his shoulder. "You seem pretty grown-up to me. Standing up for your album and your principles and all."

Mercedes nodded. "Yeah, I guess so." She turned her head to smile at him. "Thank you. You always were my biggest cheerleader."

Sam grinned back before the grin faded and he said quietly, "I'm really sorry it didn't work out the way you hoped."

Mercedes shrugged. "It's okay. It was great experience and you know, it was a fun year. Puck and I hung out a few times before he moved back to Ohio, I got to put in real studio time, I got to live on my own – it was pretty great, overall."

"Think you'll move back to Ohio now?"

Mercedes considered the question. "I don't know. For the summer, probably, yeah. Maybe I'll head to New York like everyone else." She grinned, looking a little impish. "I mean, NYC is good enough to be Beyonce's home base, I'm sure I'd be alright there."

Sam laughed. "I think you'd be alright anywhere," he said sincerely.

Mercedes turned to look at him again. "You know what I'm sorry about?" she said before she could stop herself.

Sam turned his head towards her. "What?"

Mercedes swallowed. Their faces were so close now, almost too close. A few more inches and she could lean in and kiss him… but no. She couldn't. Another auditorium memory flashed across her mind – her name in lights, singing 'Human Nature' with Sam - and then Sam kissing her. And she kissing him back. While she was dating Shane. She couldn't kiss Sam again while one of them was dating someone else. Especially when who he was dating was her friend.

She shook her head, almost imperceptibly. "I'm really sorry we couldn't ever get our timing right," she admitted softly.

Sam frowned. "Timing?"

Mercedes nodded. "Yeah. You know, we started dating and you had to move. You came back and I was with Shane. We got back together and I left town. You're dating Brittany…" her voice trailed off as she realized she might have said too much.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Our timing really sucks, doesn't it?"

Mercedes laughed, because if she didn't laugh, she was maybe gonna cry. "It really, really does."

"So you still have feelings for me, huh?" Sam teased, clearly trying to break the serious mood and Mercedes swatted his arm.

"Don't go getting a big head about it, okay?" She smiled. "I guess, I'm just saying – if we're ever in the same town at the same time again – and both single – well, I'd be open to the possibilities."

Sam nodded, processing those words. "Yeah. Me too."

They smiled at each other as Sam put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to his side in a one-armed hug. Mercedes sighed and let her head rest on his shoulder for a moment. Maybe their timing would never work out. Maybe it would. Maybe in a year or six years or fourteen years, maybe the universe would let them be together. Either way, Mercedes knew she had a friend for life.

"I meant what I sang to you last Valentine's Day, Sam Evans," she said firmly as she lifted her head back up and looked at him again. "Do you remember?"

And he grinned back at her as he stood up and offered his hand to her and helped her to her feet, "I will always love you too, Mercedes Jones."


End file.
